


Level up!

by mari_aye



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Study, M/M, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Pining, Pre-Slash, Songfic, its just kourai watching shouyou's matches and yearning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:55:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25929241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mari_aye/pseuds/mari_aye
Summary: I rise, you rise,We rise togetherKourai's eyes travel back to Hinata Shouyou- a habit he should probably get used to. What he doesn't expect is luminous amber eyes burning right back at him, locking them in a binary. It's a thrill Kourai had only felt once before, way back when the supernovae concerned Hinata. Now, however, Kourai notices the man has finally found rest within restlessness.I fly, you fly,We fly forever
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Hoshiumi Kourai, Hinata Shouyou/Hoshiumi Kourai
Comments: 3
Kudos: 28





	Level up!

_"I know we're not listened to, but-"_

  
  


There's the squeak of shoes, then the distinct _bam_ standing out like a premature star in a cloud of hues. There's the hollow thud of the ball ricocheting off of skin and it's _addicting_ to listen to. There's the whistle, and roars flash by fleetingly like the orange on the court. This is a cycle: the squeak of shoes, hollow thuds, and adrenaline laced cheers.

The thought dies in his head as Kourai's eyes trace movements, examining the curve of his back, examining every jump, every red nebula on Hinata Shouyou's arms. He compares them all to the last time Kourai watched him play. He compares and picks up on things his teammates don't, whether they'd be about Hinata Shouyou or not. Half of these things were pieces Kourai had noticed anyways during his second year.

He feels chills run down his neck and arms, and he doesn't know whether it's from the harsh breeze from the air conditioner, or from something else.

Kourai realises he does this without coherent thought— his eyes just drift to the sunset head on the court. It's become so normal, Kourai doesn't even question it anymore. _It's rivalry,_ he tries to tell himself anyway, all the letters and essays written in his head about this particular boy constrained into these two words.

  
  


_You used to tell me not to dream away._

_Go chase the safety, not the rush._

  
  


The boy is a second year now; his attacks more calculated and efficient than Kourai would like to admit. There is grace in his plays, pinpoint precision, higher _flight_ ; tougher zenith. Not enough to beat Kourai, absolutely not. He licks his lips. But a year has passed, and it seems like it's been minutes.

He watches Hinata grin through the wall of pixels, and feels his mouth slip into his own smile despite himself. It's _contagious_ , this boy is the embodiment of laughing gas, Kourai muses frustratedly. It's contagious, the boy's drive. Kourai recognizes that even if he's not like him, they might as well be as similar as the way the sun and stars are. 

Beyond the heavens and at their cores, they're just stars; operating their own solar systems, ruling their own kingdoms spread vast into nothingness.

But in the sky, it's hard for them to co-exist. Kourai's face twists in distaste as the camera zooms in on the Miyas on the other side of the court. Karasuno is having trouble with trying to combat Atsumu's serve, Kourai recollects. The dual wielder had complete autonomy over his lone weapons, but Kourai supposes Karasuno has a handful of nasty spears too.

  
  


_You said this future is a world away_

_I think you worry way too much_

  
  


No more than a time-out later does Karasuno really manage to counter. He recalls how in their previous year Karasuno had experienced a sudden, unexpected spike in their defense because of one hungry, little player. It's fascinating and Kourai's eyes snap back to the star again, because no other one shines as bright as he.

_Too blinding_ , Kourai thinks. Perhaps this is why he's watching Hinata Shouyou from afar, hidden behind a screen, not even in the crowd. Just far enough, not too close, in the Goldilocks Zone.

  
  


_Level up!_

_Light flows from my soul and my skeleton_

  
  


The roars of the crowd are much closer now. On the screen, the court seemed like a far away planet, inaccessible and exciting. But now Kourai's a probe, not quite touching the storms on the hardwood floors, but just enough to taste the feeling.

Kourai is now a Kamomedai alumni, here to witness the glory of the current team's third year players. They're not doing too bad, Kourai reflects, as if he didn't nearly get a heart attack during Kamomedai's match point against Inarizaki.

  
  


_Better work, better play, found some better love_

_Gotta dive here first, can't be scared of love_

  
  


Kourai didn't even think twice before turning his head towards Karasuno. It's like gravity, a probe pulled into orbit easily and Kourai scrutinises what beauties Hinata Shouyou has to offer. His eyes flicker over to his 'partner'. And Kourai absolutely doesn't think about the ugly feeling blooming in the pit of his stomach.

_'Hinata is a phoenix. And it was I who groomed his wings.'_

Kourai shakes his head, trying to keep a neutral thought process. He leans back into his seat, arms crossed as he eyes Hinata Shouyou leaping for a back attack, form just as perfect as ever. It's been two years now, and Kourai wonders if the boy was just a comet in his life, fleeting and brilliant.

Hinata doesn't seem to be talking much, a weird contrast to his previous matches. It's just him and his amber eyes reflecting gold, silent solar flares destroying the magnetosphere. Kourai sees auroras, and he feels himself gravitate, oceans evaporating.

He discovers— a bit too late he supposes— that the radiant one in Hinata Shouyou has never said a word.

  
  


His movements are even sharper now. They're fearless and have a constant air of dependability. Not that Hinata Shouyou didn't hone those qualities before, rather just that it's easier to notice now. Cool and in motion like water, placed and passionate like flames. And though Kourai is stuck in a whirlpool, he stands still in the wildfire that is Hinata Shouyou’s ardor.

  
  


_You shine, you a diamond_

_When pressure comes_

  
  


Kourai feels like he's in the eye of a hurricane. The crowd is relentless and bellowing, but a sharp ringing overpowers any roars, muffling them to mere oceanic whispers in Kourai's ears.

Kourai is bent, hands resting on his knees, olive eyes intently studying the still court beyond the wall of polypropylene. Hinata Shouyou is about to serve and as his eyes follow the man as he takes off, the ceiling lights blind him for a second. It’s then that Kourai tips over the Goldilocks Zone dangerously.

That addicting thud resonates again— and it's an out, the ball's impact a millimetre away from the end line. A small grin makes his way onto Kourai's lips despite himself as he chooses to ignore Hinata's frustrated yell.

_'Have you noticed how, when the sun comes out, some individual stars begin to brighten?'_

The memory is fleeting and maybe, _just maybe_ , his mother is right.

Kourai's eyes travel back to Hinata Shouyou— a habit he should probably get used to. What he doesn't expect is luminous amber eyes burning right back at him, locking them in a binary. It's a thrill Kourai had only felt once before, way back when the supernovae concerned Hinata. Now, however, Kourai notices the man has finally found rest within restlessness.

  
  


_We ain't sweating, now we the one_

_proposing the toast all in the restaurant_

  
  


Kourai eyes the box of pastries left abandoned next to him, promptly scoffing before focusing back on the match displaying on the screen. A few of the cakes had decided to migrate from the box into his body during the past hour, his mouth now tasting acidic. 

Kourai had turned the air conditioner off— the drizzle outside was a natural chiller anyways— and now he's bundled up in a sheet, laptop resting on his thighs, inspecting the now returned wall of pixels.

There's a distinct, _addicting_ bang of shoes kicking off the hardwood floor. There's the whistle, and roars flash by fleetingly like the orange on the court. This is a cycle: the squeak of shoes, hollow thuds, and adrenaline laced cheers.

Hinata Shouyou, now back in Brazil, shines brighter than the Sirius pair combined. Far, yet still home. Kourai watches Hinata's teammates ruffle his hair and pat at his back, a smile tugging at his lips nevertheless. 

_'Fold your love in, hide it like a pastry filling.'_

A crack of thunder rolls lazily through the sky, daylight relentless and daring, standing out from the soft marian blues and periwinkles dusting through the grey clouds, light and gentle.

  
  


_When you make it this far,_

_Is it ever done?_

  
  


The thought dies in his head as Kourai's hands trace circles onto Shouyou's skin, subconscious and soft. The air conditioner is working to its fullest, just the previous days reported as one of the hottests days of the year. In spite of all that, Shouyou's chin rests on Kourai's head, nuzzling into his hair.

Shouyou had bought them another box of pastries and to be fair, they both expected them to have a snack unit for another week, atleast. Turns out— as they both casted each other daring looks, their cheeks peppered with identical crumbs— the poor sweets didn't even manage to last a day. They had laughed and dismissed their self-indulgent actions; after all, three pastries each wouldn't do too much harm, they supposed.

Kourai glances at the sleeping man above him, unable to keep his attention focused on the match playing in front of him. The harsh yet relieving breeze from the air conditioner tickles his nose, the general hum of the match playing in the background left forgotten, just white noise buzzing in Kourai’s ears. There's no walls of pixels, no walls of polypropylene, no walls of insecurities- not anymore. 

For now, it's just them in these four walls they call home.

Kourai couldn’t have asked for anything more.

  
  


_Good news!_

_The best is yet to come!_

**Author's Note:**

> THIS IS MY TENTH HSHN FIC IN THE TAG WHAT THE HELL
> 
> also this fic was a bribe to get people to vote for hoshihina over in the hoshiumu rarepair bracket on twitter NDKSNDK if yall voted hshn, this one's for you
> 
> @/kiyoriosity on twt hmu yall!!
> 
> SPEACIAL THANKS TO TANI AGAIN FOR BETAING THIS ILYSM
> 
> the song i used is [ no fear no more by madeon and earthgang ]


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